Morning Briefing: Nov. 20, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including US President Donald Trump signing a bill to release Epstein records, Russia signaling its readiness to resume talks on Ukraine after a call from Türkiye’s president, and the UN expressing concern over a recent field tour conducted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the buffer zone in southern Syria.

TOP STORIES

• Trump signs bill forcing release of Jeffrey Epstein records

US President Donald Trump signed a bill requiring the country's Justice Department to release files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a day after the legislation was unanimously approved in the Senate.

The move follows weeks of intense political fighting over how far to go in disclosing records tied to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform announcing the bill’s signing, Trump framed the legislation as a step toward revealing what he said were Epstein’s ties to prominent Democrats.

“Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged by the Trump Justice Department in 2019 (Not the Democrats!), was a lifelong Democrat, donated Thousands of Dollars to Democrat Politicians, and was deeply associated with many well-known Democrat figures,” he wrote, naming former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, political donor Reid Hoffman and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries among others.

“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” he added.

• Russia signals readiness for talks after Turkish president's call to revive Istanbul negotiations

Russia signaled that it remains ready to resume talks on Ukraine, responding to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s renewed hope for reviving the Istanbul negotiation track.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow continues to favor dialogue and rejected suggestions that it is responsible for the prolonged pause.

“Moscow is open to continuation; Moscow is open to negotiations,” the TASS news agency quoted him as saying.

He reiterated the accusation that the pause is because of the unwillingness of the "Kyiv regime."

Erdogan said earlier in the day that Türkiye believes the Istanbul process could be reinstated “with a comprehensive framework that can address acute problems.” He recalled that Ankara hosted three rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks this year, during which “progress was made” and the sides were able to directly discuss ceasefire and peace issues.

He described the meetings as a key diplomatic milestone and reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to consider any proposals from Moscow that achieve a ceasefire and pave the way for a just and lasting peace.

• UN expresses concern over Netanyahu's visit to Syria's south

The UN expressed concern over a recent field tour conducted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the buffer zone in southern Syria.

"I think this very public visit is concerning, to say the least," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference. "We call on Israel to respect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement."

Dujarric noted UN resolution 2799, recently passed at the Security Council, and stressed that it "called for the full sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria."

"This is also an issue that was raised during the recent meeting between (Deputy UN envoy for Syria) Najat Rochdi and the foreign minister of Syria," he added.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry also condemned the "illegitimate visit" by Netanyahu and Israeli occupation officials as "a grave violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Lithuania is confronting a severe demographic downturn, with new data showing the number of babies born each year has fallen by nearly one-third over the past decade, local media reported.
• The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen "parasocial" as its word of the year for 2025, which refers to a connection that people feel with someone they do not know.
• China has told Japan it will suspend imports of its seafood products amid diplomatic tensions triggered by the Japanese prime minister’s remarks on Taiwan, which sparked a backlash in Beijing.
• A Russian intelligence-gathering vessel has been monitored just outside UK territorial waters, British Defense Secretary John Healey said, warning Moscow that Britain “is ready” for any further escalation.
• The Nigerian president has confirmed that a brigadier general was killed by a terrorist group while in captivity, days after the senior official was kidnapped by ISWAP militants following an ambush in northeastern Borno State that also killed four soldiers.
• A passenger ship carrying 267 people collided with a rocky islet in southwest South Korea, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
• The British prime minister called anti-Muslim hatred "abhorrent" and said that increasing incidents must be addressed.
• Ukraine’s parliament voted to dismiss Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk amid an ongoing corruption investigation into the country’s energy sector.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that Kyiv and Moscow could restart prisoner swaps by the end of the year, stressing that Türkiye plays a crucial role in efforts to advance the exchanges.
• Russia has not received any information from the US through official channels regarding alleged “agreements” on Ukraine mentioned in recent media reports, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Saudi-US agreements reach $557B: Minister

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih said the total value of agreements signed between Saudi Arabia and the US has reached $557 billion.

Speaking to the Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel, Al-Falih said Saudi Arabia signed 242 investment agreements with the US during the US-Saudi Investment Forum held in Washington, DC.

“We signed numerous agreements across various sectors to strengthen the partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US,” he said.

Al-Falih said the US remains the largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia, adding that 2025 marks a key turning point in expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.

He noted that Saudi-US relations, which span more than 90 years, have a major global impact.